Ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick has been laicized, that is to say removed from the clerical state.
This judgment was decided by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pope, and published by the Holy See Press Office, this morning Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019.
Here is the Vatican-provided statement: «On 11 January 2019, the Congresso of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at the conclusion of a penal process, issued a decree finding Theodore Edgar McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, D.C., guilty of the following delicts while a cleric: solicitation in the Sacrament of Confession, and sins against the Sixth Commandment with minors and with adults, with the aggravating factor of the abuse of power. The Congresso imposed on him the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state.»
«On 13 February 2019, the Ordinary Session (Feria IV) of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith considered the recourse he presented against this decision. Having examined the arguments in the recourse, the Ordinary Session confirmed the decree of the Congresso. This decision was notified to Theodore McCarrick on 15 February 2019. The Holy Father has recognized the definitive nature of this decision made in accord with law, rendering it a res iudicata (i.e., admitting of no further recourse).»
Pope Francis accepted McCarrick’s resignation as cardinal on Saturday, July 28, 2018. The statement noted: «Pope Francis accepted his resignation from the cardinalate and has ordered his suspension from the exercise of any public ministry, together with the obligation to remain in a house yet to be indicated to him, for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial.»
During the 26th meeting, Sept. 9-12, 2018, of the Council of Cardinals, also known as the ‘C9,’ presided over by Pope Francis, the Cardinal Members entrusted with working toward the reform of the Roman Curia, issued a Sept. 10 statement in Italian, expressing its «full solidarity» with the Holy Father,» and noted the Holy See would be formulating «potential and necessary clarifications,»
